Personal Or Online Interview: Choose Wisely

Skype interviewing isn’t a new practice. Many companies prefer it when interviewing candidates located outside of the city or for other reasons. However, the candidates’ views have divided: while some are fans of getting interviewed through Skype, the others value face-to-face contact. So, who is right and which kind of interview will land you a job faster?

If you are 100% confident in the quality of your resume or received a free critique from resume services, let’s consider the pros and cons of all types of interviews so you could choose the one which is more convenient for you.

Skype interview

Skype interviews are fast, convenient and definitely take less effort than face-to-face ones.

Pros:

It’s more effective than phone screening
You’ve probably had to pass phone screening at least once in your life and know how it’s like (if you want to learn how to master phone interviewing, click here : http://resumeperk.com/blog/profitable-tips-how-to-win-phone-interview). In comparison with phone interviewing, an interview with videos has a number of advantages. First of all, it allows you to use body language and gestures for clearer communication with the interviewer. Moreover, if the job requires good physical appearance, Skype allows doing it as well.

It saves the employer’s money
Reputable companies usually pay the travel expenses if the prospective employer’s office is located far away from you. Thus, by video interviewing you, they save money.

It saves time for both parties
When you pass the interview on Skype, you only spend time on the interview itself. You don’t need to commute, wait in queues, and carefully choose outwear to impress the interviewer. The hiring manager, in his turn, can conduct an interview from any place convenient for him. This allows both of you to save time.

Interviews can be recorded
The advantage of Skype is that it allows to record the interview and later show the recording to other team members and department heads so they could evaluate you. This practice can replace several rounds of interviews.

You can talk from a place where you’re comfortable
The place you’ve never been to is another source of stress during the interview. However, if you receive a video call at home in the environment which is comfortable and familiar, it reduces stress and makes you feel more convenient. Moreover, you can prepare a list with clues and use them during the conversation.

There are often connection problems
During the Skype or Facetime interview connection problems may arise surprisingly. You or the interviewer can mishear something, which lays the grounding for further misinterpretation of questions or answers.

You may not feel comfortable speaking on camera
If you have a shy personality, the necessity to speak on camera can embarrass you. As a result, you may come across as a reserved and closed person and won’t perform as well as you would during a face-to-face interview.

Skype interviews don’t work well for top management positions
Soft skills and body language is critical for senior managers. In spite of the video, it’s impossible to fully access these qualities in distance. That’s why top managers are interviewed face-to-face only.

It’s more difficult to build rapport
During the face-to-face interview it’s easier to build rapport with an interviewer and make them like you. And, as you perform better during face-to-face interview, your odds to get a job offer increase. As follows, Skype interview gives you fewer chances to win the job.

In-person interview

In spite of the technology taking over, face-to-face interviews are still popular. Check their pros and cons:

Pros

You can see the office and understand the corporate culture
One of the biggest advantages of in-person interview is that you face the other representatives of the company (receptionist, secretary, etc.) and can get a valuable insight into the corporate culture. The style of communication, dress code, the happiness/unhappiness of other employees – all of the above helps you understand if the company is actually a good fit.

It’s the best way to make a great impression
Skype and phone doesn’t give you so much opportunity to impress the interviewer as the traditional interview does. In-person conversation allows you to be spontaneous, creative and present your best self. You don’t need to worry about whether the interviewer understood your message or your body language right as no technology is involved. Moreover, as was mentioned above, in-person interviews lead to job offers more often.

You can track how well the interview is going
face-to-face interviews allow you to take full advantage of body language and nonverbal clues. In particular, you can follow the interviewer’s reaction to understand whether they are truly interested or just wait until the interview is over and correct your behavior or answers accordingly.

Cons

It requires much preparation

You’ll spend a lot of time preparing for the interview – much more than on the interview itself. You’ll have to learn about the company, find out how to properly dress for the interview (you can find some hints here: http://resumeperk.com/blog/what-to-wear-for-a-winning-job-interview), and closely follow your gestures and body language.

It’s stressful
Face-to-face interviews involve a great deal of stress. The necessity to be on time at the place you’ve probably never been to before, look for the company’s office in a huge business center, let alone the various surprises… For example, you can suddenly find yourself on a stress interview which is quite different from the regular one, or get interviewed in a group.

If you are employed, you can have problems scheduling
If you work full-time, it’ won’t be an easy task to find time for an interview in another organization. The earlier they interview you, the better; but if you’re fully engaged with the current work, they might offer a job to someone who had more free time and was interviewed faster.

It’s time-consuming for you (and costly for the prospective employer)
Imagine that you got an interview invitation from a company that’s located in another state. You’ll have to spend hours traveling, and the whole process can take days. On their side, the employer will need to pay for your travel and accommodation (most reputable companies do). Provided that an interview doesn’t guarantee a job, it’s a significant investment, isn’t it?

So, which interview type is best for you?

At the end of the day, it depends. However, if you are really interested in a job, always opt for in-person interview. Like no other interview type, it will enable you to build rapport and evaluate the corporate culture.

Skype interviews work better as a preliminary stage before the ‘real’ interview. If the company is located in your city and only offers Skype interview, they probably don’t seriously consider your candidacy or use the video interview stage to weed out the candidates that don’t fit.

Keep in mind that any kind of interview requires thorough preparation. You should practice answering the interview questions and do a research about the company – it will help you to excel in the interview.